Physical Health Uganda Project #33098

Support our newborn care training team

by Born on the Edge

Project Report | Jan 30, 2025
Dorcus' Story

By Adam Hewitt-Smith | Trustee, Born on the Edge

Over the last 10 years amazing things have happened at the Mbale Neonatal Unit. In 2014, not a single baby less than 1500g was surviving and now 80% of these tiny babies are going home alive and well. With your support we have implemented low-cost life-saving equipment like bubble CPAP; created protocols and guidelines; provided psychological support and food to our mothers; given lactational support and donor human milk when needed; and employed and trained local neonatal experts to save the lives of the most vulnerable babies. We thank you from the bottom of our heart for giving babies like Dorcus’ a chance at life. As we celebrate 10 years of work in eastern Uganda, please enjoy Dorcus' story and read through our report, linked below.

Dorcus' story

“At 7 months pregnant I was in the school where I am a teacher, when I realised something was wrong. I moved quickly to a nearby clinic where I had an ultrasound and everything appeared normal. Five days later at home, my contractions started. They quickly became unbearable and then blood began pouring. My husband was still trying to find a way to get me to hospital when I delivered our tiny baby at home.

When I reached my nearby clinic they referred us immediately to the neonatal unit. On the way there, she became very sick, her breathing became so difficult that I thought we would never get to the neonatal unit with her alive. I truly never expected her to survive.

Upon reaching the Neonatal Unit, they tied my baby onto my chest in Kangaroo and immediately put her onto oxygen. She weighed just 1010g and was just 28 weeks. They passed a feeding tube through her nose and into her stomach, so that she could start feeding. I didn’t like it, I thought it would worsen her condition. But the team explained that it was safe, and would carry my breastmilk to my baby’s stomach and help her to grow since she was small and unable to suckle.

I begun by feeding her just two millilitres of my breastmilk every two hours, and every day the doctors would increase the amount of breastmilk I was supposed to give her. Things were going well until one day she caught an infection. She became really sick and I became really stressed. This caused my milk supply to reduce and although the doctors were asking me to give her breastmilk, I was unable to meet the demand myself. The breastfeeding specialist was able to support my baby with donor breastmilk from the milk bank, while she supported me to re-establish my own milk supply. My baby became stronger, and my worries were allayed. She kept on supporting me until my breastmilk was enough. The lactational support programme from Born on the Edge is making such a difference to babies like mine, thank you.”

Links:

Born on the Edge 10 year report

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